Chapter 20: Girding for War: The North and the South 1861-1865 Flashcards
- What were the advantages of the South during the Civil War? The North? What advantage proved most important to each side? Disadvantages of each side? Which disadvantage proved most troublesome to each side?
The South had many advantages at the start of the Civil War. They could use defensive fighting tactics, fighting behind their own lines, while the North had to invade a massive land area and somehow force it to return to the Union. The South also had more talented officers and experienced fighters, which was one of their greatest advantages. The boys grew up riding horses and handling guns. They were also disadvantaged, however, because of the lack of factories in the South. They were not able to mass produce weapons, shoes, uniforms, or blankets, all very important assets to the soldiers. Many soldiers starved because of supply issues to a breakdown in their shabby transportation system. While the South’s biggest problem was its economy, the North’s economy was its biggest strength. They better able to meet soldier’s needs. They also controlled the sea, which enabled it to put up a blockade to cut off supplies to the south and trade with Europe for weapons. The North was also blessed with a larger population from which to draft soldiers. Unfortunately, these soldiers were far less experienced than their Southern counterparts, and their commanders lacked the skill that the Southern commanders possessed.
- To what degree did Britain get involved in the American Civil War? Assess the importance of that degree of involvement to the North and to the South.
During the Civil War, Britain became involved through multiple tussles. In 1861, the Trent Affair caused a major crisis. The clash resulted when a Union warship stopped a British mail ship north of Cuba and took two Confederate diplomats headed to Europe into custody. The British were very upset and ready to jump into the war, but the conflict cooled down and Lincoln released the diplomats. In 1862, another crisis arose between America and Britain when Confederate ships were built in Britain. They were not warships by law, but one ship, the Alabama, sailed to the Portuguese Azores and was boarded by British with weapons. The North was upset at being disillusioned by these ships falsely flying the Confederate flag. They wasted precious time and resources chasing after these ships and talked of declaring war on Canada after the war. The Laird rams also created problems between the nations. The Laird rams were warships under construction in Great Britain that were designed to defeat Union ships, and would have caused many hardships for the Union if they had been used. After some tense waiting, the London government bought the ships for their own navy, not to be used by the South. Britain also paid 15.5 million dollars to America for the damage caused during the Alabama conflict.
Other events impacted diplomatic relations between the two countries as well. At the start of the war, the South was hoping for foreign aid. They did not get what they hoped for. The working masses in Britain wanted the North to win, not the south. They wanted slavery to be abolished in America, and many of the slave workers of Britain were sympathetic to the slaves in the South. Even though the British masses could not vote, they were able to influence the British government. Despite the fact that British factories received 75% of their cotton from the South, they were able to continue on for a few more years because of their large reserves in storehouses. England was also very involved in manufacturing supplies for both the North and the South and managed to make a large profit off of the fighting. During this same time, the British suffered from bad grain harvests and were forced to import wheat and corn from America, which were major cash crops in the North.
- How did the American Civil War reshape the Americas? What did European powers do in the Americas during the American Civil War?
The American Civil war reshaped America economically and socially. Slaves were freed, new factories arose because of the war, and the economy of the South crashed because of a decrease in cotton exports. Their transportation system failed as well because of the lacking economic means to rebuild broken railroads. The South was forced to rebuild its economy and its transportation system, but nonetheless suffered because of the War. In contrast, the economy of the North grew because of the war. New factories were built to supply the continuous demand for army necessities. A new class of people, millionaires, arose for the first time in US history. The invention of machines combined with military need sped the coming of the end of custom tailoring. Women were also impacted by the war. Many women took on jobs previously held by men because they were away fighting. The societal viewpoint of nursing changed as well, moving into a more positive light. In 1863, France took advantage of America’s distraction and sent an army to Mexico City. In 1854, he sent the Austrian archduke Maximilian to become the emperor of Mexico. Because of the presumed collapse of the Union, Napoleon gambled that America would not be able to interfere. A year later, the Secretary of State prepared an army to fight with France Napoleon, realizing his mistake, left Maximilian to defend himself. The puppet was killed by a Mexican firing squad.
- Did the results of the Civil War justify its cost? Does the answer to that question depend partly on whether you are a Northerner or a Southerner, black or white?
Despite the many hardships that came about during the Civil War, its results justify its cost. Despite the economic hardships that resulted in the South and the great loss of American lives, the freedom of slaves was won and the country was reunited. Also, women were given more rights because they were given the opportunity to step up and fill the job positions left open by the men at war. The economy of the North grew exponentially as well. If you were to ask a Northerner, Southerner, black, or white just after the war, your opinion on this question would no doubt differ. A Northerner or a black would most likely agree with my position, but a white Southerner would probably say that the costs did not outweigh the benefits. To a white Southerner, the war was almost all bad because it caused an economic disaster and took away their slaves.
- What made Lincoln a great president? Was it primarily his political leadership, or his personal qualities and character?
Lincoln was patient, stable, and perceptive. He became quite skilled at leading an indecisive public opinion. He was also understanding towards the South, while standing firmly in favor of the Union. He was a great president because of his character, not just because of his political leadership. Actually, he was not an experienced politician when he was elected. He also took many political actions that were unconstitutional and would have most likely not been allowed to do such things if there was not a war going on. His political actions no doubt played a huge part in his effectiveness, but a person’s leadership capabilities are based on their personal attributes, such as wisdom. Lincoln’s political leadership can be traced back to his character. He was determined to bring the country back together, and worked very hard to see that end.
